The present invention relates generally to novel building block construction elements and to a building construction system utilizing interlocking modular block members which can be used to form continuous wall sections without the need for mortar.
Attempts have been made in the past to overcome the shortcomings and disadvantages of conventional masonry structures utilizing building elements such as bricks, cement blocks, cinder blocks and the like. Such conventional masonry elements are used for erecting wall structures on an appropriate foundation by way of laying successive superimposed horizontal rows or courses of bricks or blocks united by means of horizontal and vertical mortar joints. Such mortar joints often show poor adherence to the surfaces of the masonry elements, and are relatively porous with the result that they are not entirely impervious to seepage of water or penetration by moisture. Mortar joints are consequently the weakest element of a wall, or other structure, build by conventional means, they provide a poor barrier to heat, cold, moisture, and they deteriorate relatively more rapidly than the rest of the structure. Furthermore, building a structure by means of conventional masonry united by vertical and horizontal mortar joints requires substantial skill on the part of the worker in order to trowel the right amount of mortar of the right consistency at each joint and in order to constantly maintain courses upon courses of bricks or building blocks perfectly level and a plurality of superimposed courses along a perfect plumb line. It is also obvious that in addition to being relatively slow, time consuming, and requiring a reasonable amount of care and skill, conventional building systems utilizing masonry elements interconnected by vertical and horizontal mortar joints are subject to cracking at the mortar joints which form the weakest part of the whole structure.
As a result of the deficiencies of the prior art technique, various interlocking or mortarless blocks have been proposed. According to the prevailing theory, interlocking blocks are so constructed that they may be layed one upon the other, to lay up a wall without the necessity of skilled tradesmen to align the blocks one upon the other, to apply the mortar, and to position the blocks appropriately.
The mortarless or interlocking blocks provided thus far have been deficient in several respects. The typical prior art interlocking block is manufactured by the usual molding process and then the various interconnecting grooves and protrusions are formed into the block by sawing or other forming techniques. Such a block becomes impractically expensive for most applications.
A further deficiency of prior art interconnecting or mortarless blocks has been that the interlocking structure has required very precise molding or other forming so that usual manufacturing techniques cannot be employed. Thus, the blocks must be made according to low producing processes which raises the costs beyond practical limits.
Other prior art techniques have not provided blocks which are adaptable to use with corner blocks and end blocks to accomplish the intersection and termination of walls without the use of manual forming and the accompanying skill and labor requirements. Additionally, some prior art techniques have required that the blocks be joined by mortar in the conventional fashion and therefore have been wasteful of material and labor in the joining operation.
As a result of the deficiencies of prior art mortarless or interconnecting blocks, these blocks have seen relatively limited application and the conventional prior art technique with its concommitant high labor and skill requirement is the predominating usage.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide interlocking self-aligning building blocks having a design amenable to economical manufacturing.
It is another object of this invention to provide interlocking blocks as in the foregoing object and associated complementary interactive blocks constituting a system for the facile fabrication of wall structures.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.